Web fasteners in furniture structure



March), 1959 ,J. Jg'MIRRIONE- 2,876,327

was FASTENERS-VIN FURNITURE STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 12 1958 2,876,827 WEB FASTENERS IN FURNITURE STRUCTURE Application August 12, 1958, Serial No. 754,588

. 3 Claims. (Cl. 155-187).

This invention relates to web fasteners or clips and is particularly employed in connection with webbing strips interlaced across the tubular frames of metal furniture.

The art has employed a variety of web fasteners each of which have embodied serious objections. For example, some web fasteners must be clamped to the web by special machinery. This complicates production as well as subsequent repair of the unit. Other fasteners penetrated the web and thus set up weak spots which resulted in accelerated eventful rupture of the web particularly when under strain such as from the weight of the users body. Further, when the penetrated spot is in the wrong place, another penetration must be made, further weakening the web.

With the foregoing in mind, I have devised a web fastener which simply slips over the end of the web without requiring either clamping thereof to the web or penetrating the material of the web. Thus, my fastener merely requires the web to be threaded into opposing arms of the fastener. Ordinarily, such an expedient might be disadvantageous for many reasons such as the possibility that the fastener might slip on the web during handling in producing the furniture. As an example of such handling, usually when the fastener is connected to the web, the thus fortified end of the web is used to interlace the web over and under the other parallel webs of the furniture. Accordingly, the clip should not be loosely retained.

I have solved the problem by making the effective inner width of the fastener somewhat less than the normal width of the web which it embraces. The web is conventionally fabricated of flexible, resilient plastic material such as Saran or some types of polyethylene. By inserting a web which is of a normal width greater than that of the web receiving slots of the fastener, the web tends to buckle and, in seeking to regain its normal width, engages the fastener slots in such a way as to effectively anchor the fastener in position.

A further advantage of my fastener is that the ultimate user can easily repair his furniture since he need only readjust or slide a fastener into position to be properly engaged by the tubular arms of the furniture. In order to do this he requires no tools and need not make and holes in the web.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a typical piece of metal frame furniture in connection with which the invention is used;

Figure 2 is a separated view of the webbing and the fastener clip which engages it;

Figure 3 is a rear view of the fastener clip secured to the webbing and indicating the engagement between the two;

Figure 4 illustrates the webbing folded around the clip and ready for connection to the chair;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing United States patfit O webbing connected to opposite frame members as taken along the line 55 of Figure 6; and

Figure 6 is a view as taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5. v

The chair 10 may assume many conventional forms whether the simple form shown or more elaborate structures such as chaise longues. The chair comprises tubular frame members 11 and strips of flexible webbing 12 which are interlaced with each other across the chair. Conventionally, such webbing is of plastic material such as saran or the like.

The fastener clip of this invention is shown in Figure 2. It comprises aligned slots 13 and 14 separated by central arms 13a. The aligned slots are closed at their outer ends but open at their inner ends. The open ends of the slots face each other. Besides central arms 13a, the aligned slots are defined by end arms 13b and 13c. A second pair of aligned slots 15 and 16 substantially duplicate the solts 13 and 14 save that they are slightly longer by virtue of the greater length of arms 13d. This serves to enhance the grip of the fastener clip on the webbing 12, the second pair of slots engaging and adjacent width of the webbing.

Disposed centrally of the fastener clip is the center section 17 having an upstruck prong 18 formed therein. As is usual, prong 18 has a bump 19 for assisting in the engagement of the prong with the tubular frame members. Transversely, a section across any part of the fastener clip is slightly concavo-convex.

Figure 3 illustrates the first step in connecting the fastener clip to the web. Thus the web is threaded through slots 15 and 16 and then through slots 13 and 14 whereupon the web becomes securely retained by the fastener clip.

Reference to Figure 2 will disclose dotted lines 20 which indicate that the normal width of the web 12 is slightly greater than the effective width of either the slots 13 and 14, or 15 and 16. It will be noted in Figure 3 that the width of the web 12 is received between the respective pairs of slots. Since the distance between the closed ends of each pair of slots is less than the width of the webbing 12, the webbing is constrain to flex and form bulges 21 between the end sections 22 of the fastener clip. The plastic material of which web 12 is made being resilient, the web tends to expand and thereby frictionally and yieldingly engage such closed ends of the slots. This becomes an effective secure connection without requiring clamping of the fastener clip or even penetrating the material of the web.

Referring to Figure 4, this shows the webbing with the fastener clip as shown in Figure 3 reversed with the extending length of the webbing then folded around the clip to permit of its connection to a tubular frame member. This produces a double thickness of the webbing around the clip. The web thus fortified with the clip may be threaded over and under other webs of the chair until the clip is ready to be connected to a closed slot 23 formed in the tubular frame memberll. As illustrated in Figure 5, the webbing is brought around the tubular frame and is connected at the right-hand end in a 9 oclock position and at the left-hand end in a 3 oclock position. If the webbing is not tight enough, the clip may be simply shifted accordingly. Prong 18 is slipped into the closed slot 23 of the frame member 11 so as to anchor the end of the webbing thereto. It will thus be recognized that I have provided a fastener clip which is retained in position without being clamped to the web or penetrating it. Accordingly, manufacture of the unit or even repair thereof is considerably facilitated. If any of the clips become broken during use, the manufacturer can simply send a duplicate thereof so that the user can simply make the connection himself.

;.across :the structure,r,and means to anchorlat leats one end of said webbing to saidtubular member,:said means comprising a :fastener clip .havinglslot means vformed therein, said webbing being freely received in. saiduslot :means, saidslot means comprising .at' least two opposing open ended slotshaving the open ends thereof .facing -ea'ch.other and jointly receiving the width ofzsaid webthing, and said webbing being received between said-closed ends, .and aprong on. said clip located between said two opthe other end of said opposing slots being-closed posing slots and engaged by said tubular frame member .closed slot so as to anchor said webbing end to said :tubular member, said two opposing slots being. in align- :ment,;the distancebetween said-other ends of said opposing slots being less than that of the webbing width which said opposing slots receive whereby said webbing is flexed within said slots, said webbing being of resilient material whereby saidflexing thereof causes it to yieldingly engage said othertendssofsaid opposing slots.

2. Furniture structure according to claim 1 and including two additional opposing slots both of which are likewise open ended and having the open ends thereof facing each other, an adjacent width of said webbing being retained in said twoadditional slots, the distance between the other ends of said'two additional opposing slots being the same as the said distance between the other, closed ends of said first mentioned opposing slots.

3. Furniture structure according to claim 2 wherein all of said opposing slots are defined by two pairs oilinwardly extending arms, one of said pairs of arms being longer than the other pair of arms.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,768,475 Hail ...Iune 24, v1930 2;444,873 Goldberg July 6, 1948 2,582,579 'Bedford Jan. 15, 1952 

